OFFICIAL OFF SEASON THREAD ( 2017 )

[saddles]

I am afraid that we might just regret letting him get away. It is so important to have as many options for the pen as possible. Best wishes Shawn.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Bye Felicia.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

I missed this article a couple of weeks ago.

Rangers skating by on double standard

The Texas Rangers desperately want to be on the same plane as the Dallas Cowboys, or the Dallas Mavericks, but they have repeatedly shown they can’t take a hit like Jerry.

In fairness, the only thing that can take a hit better than Jerry Jones is Kevlar.

The last time a team this good – and these Rangers were good – disappointed us this much was the Cowboys, and yet the response and fallout could not be any more dramatic, or revealing.

Basically, there has been no fallout.

In January of 2008, Wade Phillips’ Cowboys opened the playoffs at home as seven-point favorites against the New York Giants in the NFC Divisional Round. The Cowboys lost 21-17, and the best Cowboys’ season of this century was trashed.

Fans and media put Wade on the fillet board, and Jerry was kicked over the edge back into the DFW shark pit.

The Rangers just completed a 95-win season as the best team in the American League and yet were swept in the AL Division Series by the Blue Jays.

Sweep is a kind word. Start with embarrassed, and then move down the list of four-letter adjectives.

The Texas Rangers have had winning seasons in seven out of the last eight years.

The reaction has been a variety of excuses for the eighth-highest payroll in baseball, to “What time do the Cowboys kick off?” (3:25 central in Green Bay).

Since 2010, the Rangers have re-defined their level of expectations yet fans (media?) have not come along. Either that or the Rangers have cultivated a culture of contentment.

No team enjoys a double standard in DFW more than the local baseball club, led by executives who make the final decisions on personnel.

The Rangers have collapsed each of the last two years, both playoff losses to the Blue Jays.

In ’15, they led the ALDS 2-0, and 3-2 in the seventh inning of Game 5 before Elvis happened.

In ’16, they played dead quite effectively against the Blue Jays.

Switch the Rangers with the Cowboys and ponder the reaction – i.e. apoplectic hostile outrage – to these respective finishes.

In their history, the Texas Rangers have won at least 90 games eight times, five since 2010.

The Rangers have admirably made their franchise about more than just the playoffs yet the local reaction remains decidedly satisfied with just that. The Rangers have invested a small fortune of their roster to make the product World Series-caliber, which they are.

A team does not win 95 games on accident, and make the playoffs four times in the last seven seasons because they had a lucky run.

And yet, if the Cowboys did what the Rangers just pulled off – flop after a brilliant regular season – they would face a sports firing squad.

 

[DT LUNA]

Excellent choices. Corner IFers like Adrian and Mitch are a pleasure to watch

 

[Kelleyman]

Ouch. Making it tougher for Joey to find some momentum

 

[DT LUNA]

Ouch. Making it tougher for Joey to find some momentum

And the saga continues

 

[RevSader]

I am afraid that we might just regret letting him get away. It is so important to have as many options for the pen as possible. Best wishes Shawn.

He was looking at 4 million as a payday. They can still re-sign him for much cheaper. He's not worth 4 million by any stretch.

 

[saddles]

He was looking at 4 million as a payday. They can still re-sign him for much cheaper. He's not worth 4 million by any stretch.

If they re-sign him for lower then that is great. I just would hate to have to go shopping for a reliever in July when Shawn is doing well somewhere else and then have to pay too much in prospects to land a reliever. Overpaying in prospects or dollars can hurt the team.

Of course maybe they know a lot more about his back injury than they have told us.

 

[RevSader]

Buzz is out as Rangers' play by play man and Dave Raymond will take over with Tom Griever.

 

[DT LUNA]

Buzz is out as Rangers' play by play man and Dave Raymond will take over with Tom Griever.

That's a heck of an upgrade.

 

[donaldson79]

Buzz is out as Rangers' play by play man and Dave Raymond will take over with Tom Griever.

Lordy, Lordy......Went from an F to a D-. Nice upgrade.

 

[saddles]

Lordy, Lordy......Went from an F to a D-. Nice upgrade.

We should have never gotten rid of Lewin.

 

[Bmurph]

Lordy, Lordy......Went from an F to a D-. Nice upgrade.

Lateral move IMO

from shit to shit

 

[donaldson79]

We should have never gotten rid of Lewin.

I agree with ya. But even so, is it an impossible task to get someone other than Josh to even be competent?

Lateral move IMO

from shit to shit

I was trying to be nice. ha ha ha..........Honestly, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, but before next season's end we all might be saying "we should have never gotten rid of Busby."

 

[Bmurph]

I agree with ya. But even so, is it an impossible task to get someone other than Josh to even be competent?



I was trying to be nice. ha ha ha..........Honestly, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, but before next season's end we all might be saying "we should have never gotten rid of Busby."

It's ok, leave it to me to be the a-hole. I was never a fan of Steve as a commentator but I am even less a fan of Raymond and his lack of any real baseball knowledge and incessant babbling

 

[RevSader]

It's ok, leave it to me to be the a-hole. I was never a fan of Steve as a commentator but I am even less a fan of Raymond and his lack of any real baseball knowledge and incessant babbling

Buzz and TAG gave him little to work with, which might give an indication that they both knew Buzz was not long for the gig. It was so dry with Raymond working opposite of either of them. Just truly awful chemistry.

 

[Bmurph]

Buzz and TAG gave him little to work with, which might give an indication that they both knew Buzz was not long for the gig. It was so dry with Raymond working opposite of either of them. Just truly awful chemistry.

Hoping they have something in the works as far as a change goes when they are ready to open the new venue. It would freshen things up to have a new broadcast team to go along w a new ballpark

 

[Bmurph]

Astros' Jose Altuve voted Sporting News MLB Player of the Year for 2016

Voting by MLB players

1. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros-84
2. Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox-64
3. David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox-41
4. Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs-36
5. Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals-26
6. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels-22
7. Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies-20
8. Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles-14
9. Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers-5
10. Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers-4
Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins-4

AB at #10

 

[Bmurph]

Lucas Harrell, Shawn Tolleson Elect Free Agency

By Steve Adams | October 28, 2016 at 12:26pm CDT

Rangers right-handers Lucas Harrell and Shawn Tolleson have rejected outright assignments and been granted free agency, per a pair of announcements from the team. Both right-handers finished out the year on the 60-day disabled list and were outrighted earlier this week.

The drop-off for Tolleson is somewhat startling. Entering the season, the 28-year-old had established himself as the Rangers’ closer after turning in a terrific 2014 season in a setup role and stepping into the ninth inning in a similarly excellent 2015 season. From 2014-15, Tolleson tossed 144 innings and logged 35 saves, averaging 9.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 with a 41.4 percent ground-ball rate. The 2016 season, however, yielded dreadful results, as he limped to a 7.68 ERA with a dramatically diminished 7.2 K/9 in just 36 1/3 innings. Tolleson was at one point optioned to the minors, and his season came to a close on Aug. 23 when a back injury landed him on the 60-day disabled list.

Tolleson’s bottom-line results were awful, but there’s also reason to express optimism. He maintained his velocity, averaging 93 mph on his heater, and his control (2.5 BB/9) was once again solid. Furthermore, he recorded a career-best 52 percent ground-ball rate. The primary reasons for Tolleson’s downfall were a .372 BABIP and, more alarmingly, a 24.2% homer-to-flyball rate that resulted in an average two home runs per nine innings pitched. While those numbers aren’t appealing, a HR/FB rate at that level is almost certain to regress in future seasons. And Tolleson will pitch all of next season at the age of 29, so there’s little reason to assume that his sudden and rapid decline was related to his age. A team that signs Tolleson would be able to control him for both the 2017 and 2018 seasons, as he’s still arbitration eligible.

Harrell, meanwhile, joined the Rangers in a fairly curious summer trade with the Braves. The Rangers shipped prospect Travis Demeritte to Atlanta in exchange for Harrell and left-hander Dario Alvarez (who remains in the organization), and the returns on Harrell weren’t pretty. The 31-year-old, who spent the 2015 season pitching in the Korea Baseball Organization, made just four starts for Texas and surrendered 11 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings before he, too, incurred a season-ending injury (groin strain). All told, he finished up the season with a 4.21 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 4.8 BB/9 and a 44.3 percent ground-ball rate in 47 innings of work between the two teams. Harrell should find interest as a depth option this winter, though given his rocky 2016 and lack of a track record — 4.77 ERA in 448 2/3 innings — it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be promised a rotation spot anywhere heading into the 2017 season.